Jaguars Notebook: Eugene Monroe practices; return likely

Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, who is nursing a sore neck and shoulder, practiced fully on Wednesday.

Left tackle Eugene Monroe appears ready to return to the Jaguars starting lineup Sunday after missing one start, but defensive end Aaron Kampman is uncertain if he'll make his season debut in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Monroe went full-time in practice on Wednesday. Kampman, who missed the first four games while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, was encouraged that he was able to see some action with the first team in limited duty.

Kampman will have a better idea of his status after today's padded practice.

The return of Monroe means the Jaguars will use the same line they used in Carolina, so rookie Will Rackley will go back to the bench, Eben Britton will play left guard and Guy Whimper will play right tackle.

Monroe played only on field goal snaps last week against the Saints when he was nursing an ailing shoulder and neck. He could have played in an emergency, but the Jaguars wanted to give him more time to heal.

Monroe had two costly penalties against Carolina that wiped out gains of 17 and 19 yards.

In his third season, the former first-round pick hopes to join the ranks of the league's better tackles.

"I think that's already started, putting together a couple of good games. I'm just looking to continue that," he said.

He plays Sunday against Michael Johnson, who he played against in college when he was at Virginia and Johnson was at Georgia Tech.

"We've had some battles. He's definitely developed and become more of a complete player. It'll be a great challenge," Monroe said.

Monroe dropped to 287 pounds in the offseason in an effort to get quicker, but the Jaguars wanted him back at 300 pounds to make it easier to handle the big defensive ends.

"There aren't too many tackles playing in the league right now at 287, but I felt great at that weight," he said.

Kampman makes cut

Kampman has a new look off the field after cutting his long hair.

Kampman grew it longer because his wife liked it that way, but found it too much trouble.

"I complained a little bit. I had to condition my hair. It was too much for me," he said. "[I said] find me a picture that you want it to look like and the rest is history."

Now he's working to become the player he was last season, when he had four sacks in eight games before he suffered his second torn ACL.

"I still think it's one of those things that I'm trying to earn my way back," he said about playing Sunday. "It doesn't guarantee me anything. I have to continue to make strides, but I'm definitely closer now than I was a couple of weeks ago.

"I would have loved to play Week 1, but the decision was made [that] it wasn't right and, quite honestly, I think that was probably the right decision."

Blackout looming

The Jaguars have to decide by 1 p.m. Thursday whether to have the game against the Bengals blacked out or ask the league for an extension.

With 8,100 non-premium tickets still unsold, all signs point to their first blackout since 2009.

Owner Wayne Weaver can write a check for 34 percent of the face value of the tickets to make it available on TV, but likely would prefer to do that for the Monday night game vs. Baltimore on Oct. 24, which has about 7,000 tickets left.

The Jaguars are inviting fans to take part in the team's first "whiteout." The Jaguars will be wearing all-white uniforms and are asking their fans to do the same.

This is what is wrong with this organization. Failure to see that this guy is a BUST. He's nothing but a turnstile. Cecil Shorts is a BUST. Failure of the Jags to admit they screwed up, and hurt their egos and stick with non productive players is the reason this team is going nowhere!

Failure of Wayne Weaver to recognize a BUST of a coach in JDR, has not only hurt this team, this city, but hurt his bottom line.